Carpet-sweeper



(No Model.)

W. H. CASTLE.

CARPET SWEEPER.

N0 346,641.5 Patented Aug. 3, 1886.

IWl/MT:

N. PETERS. Fhntu-Ulhngnphor. Wuln'ngiun, or.

VILLIAM H. CASTLE, OF GENEVA, OHIO.

CARPET-LSWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,641, dated August3, 1886.

Srrial No. 143,3 2. (No model.)

.T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CASTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Geneva, in the county of Asht-abula and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet Sweepers, ofwhich the following isaspecifieation, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to carpet-sweepers; and it consists, essentially,in certain new and useful devices for adjusting the brush-roll up anddown in its guides, for increasing the force with which the rollers bearagainst the brush-roll, and for protecting furniture from being damagedby the sweeper when struck by the latter, substantially as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of a carpet-sweeperprovided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of the sweeper withone of the wheels broken away to show details of construction. Fig. 3 isa sectional view on the line .2 z of Fig. 1, showing the inside of oneof the end castings. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion ofone ot'the dustpans. Fig. 5 is a detached detail view ot'a portion ofone of the end castings. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line a:x of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line ;1 7 of Fig.5. Fig. Sis adetached sectional view through one of the brush-guidingears. Figs. 9 and 10 represent views of the roller-adjustingthumb-screw.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures, A designates the sweeper having the usualform of cover-i. 6., flat central portions a,and inclined portions a a,one of which isprovided witha slot through which the shank b of thehandle B passes. The cover is secured, in the usual manner,to verticalends 0 O, preferably ofiron,each cast in a single piece, and providedwith a central cut-away portion, 0, through which the ends of thebrush-roll D pass, and curved slots 0 0", formed in the ends at eachside of said cut-away portion, for a purpose hereinafter described.

F designates dust-pans, which are pivoted at the points f to the ends 0.The inclined sides f extend upward to the portions c of the cover. Oneof the ends f of each of the pans is provided near its upper edge with aslot, f through which passes one end of a piece of spring-wire, f,secured at its inner end to the side f of the pan, the outer endengaging, when the pan is closed upward, with detents 0*, formed at oneedge of each of the ends 0, near the top thereof. The dustpans F areprovided at their edges adjacent to thcbrush-roll with upturned flangesfZwhereby dust is held within the pan and prevented from fallingtherefrom when the pans are tilted.

G G designate pieces of cord secured by glue or otherwise within grooves9, formed in the outer edges of each of the inclined portions to of thecover. The ends 9 of the cords pass under the overhanging ends of thecover; and are secured thereto by small staples gior otherwise. Ipreferably employ braided windowcord, although other kinds of cord maybe employed with perhaps equal advantage, to prevent furniture frombeing marred or scratched by the sweeper when being used.

The sweeper is mounted upon four wheels or rollers, H, placed near eachof its corners upon the end castings, O. The rollers are pivoted,as byscrews into the lower ends of plates I, which are in turn pivoted attheir upper inner corners, as by pivotal pins 1', to the end castings,O.

i designates pins projecting inwardly from the outer corner of each ofthe plates I, and are engaged by one arm of U-shaped springs J, theopposite arm of the springs being bent outward and riveted in aperturesformed for their reception in the end castings.

j designates studs against which the springs bear, and by which they areheld inposition.

I attach importance to the U-shaped form of the springs J. It will beseen from the above description that the rollers H are forced towardeach other by the springs J, and that said rollers bear withconsiderable pressure against rollers K,secured to the opposite ends ofthe brush-roll D. The rollers K may be made entirely of rubber orleather, or wood covered with leather, rubber, or of any other preferredmaterial. The centers of the rollers K are placed considerably above theplane of the centers of the rollers H,s0 that said brush- 7 m, andgrooves m.

rollers K and the brush-roll to whichthey are attached are wholly upheldor supported by the rollers H. (See Fig. 2.)

I have shown the brush-roll D as but partially supplied with brushes.Each end of the brushroll D is provided with a projecting pin or stud,d, which is adapted to move freely up and downand between the flanges 1,formed upon the inside of the casting L. The flanges ofeach casting Larejoined at their upper ends, the lower ends thereof being spacedapart, (see Fig. 1,) to permit the brush-roll to be inserted andwithdrawn from the sweeper. Said flanges also prevent lateral movementof the brush-roll, and limit its upward movement. The wheels H whollysupport the brush-roll and revolve the same by frictional contact.

I adjust the brush-roll to the proper height by the following meanstowit: Z designates screwthreaded pins or studs projecting upward from thetops of the castings L and passing through perforations formed in carsor lugs F I, cast with or otherwise secured to the ends 0. I

Z designates a V-shaped rib formed upon the upper surfaces of each ofthe lower ears or lugs, 1 and extends from the aperture in said lug tothe outer surface of the end cast ing. (See Fig. 6.)

M designates a thumb-nut provided upon its lower surface with a seriesof radial ribs. Athumb-nut, M, is placed upon each of the screw-threadedpins Z between the lugs Z 1, its ribbed and grooved lower surface beingkept in engagement with the rib l of the lug l by a spiral-spring, N,interposed between the top of the thumb-nut and the upper lug, Z andsurrounding the pin 1 Z. When it is desired to adjust the brushroll upor down, turn the thu mb-nut M, whereby the ribs m upon the said nutwill slide over the rib upon the lug Z said nut being held stationary atany desired point by the engagement with the rib l by one of thediiferent grooves m in the nut.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a firm and secure lockingdevice is provided having simplicity of form, durability, and fa cilityof operation.

It will be seen that the spring-rod f, attached to the dust-pan, andhaving its end projecting through the slot f will have more rigidity andfirmness, and therefore not be so liable to I displacement as in thosecases where the rods extend over the upper edge of the pans. I regardthis point as one of great importance, inasmuch as much trouble andannoyance result from the breakage of the dust-pan lock, which I whollyavoid.

By providing the sweeper with side guards, 60

G, I lessen, if not Wholly overcome, all danger of marring or injuringfurniture when operating the sweeper.

Without confining myself to the exact details of construction shown anddescribed, what I claim as new is- 1. In acarpet-sweepeuthe end castingsprovided with cut-away portions for the passage of the brush-roll,curved slots for the pivoted wheels, and lugs provided with aperturesand ribs for the reception of the brush-roll-adjusting devices, incombination with the brushroll and pivoted supporting-wheels,substantially as described.

2. In a carpet-sweeper, and in combination with the end casting thereof,the adjustable brush casting provided upon its inner face withguide-flanges, a thumb screw having corrugated lower surface,and aspiralspring, substantially as shown and described.

3. In acarpet-sweeper.the end casting, G,provided with cut-away portionsa, curved slots 0 c", and lugs Z 1 one of said lugs having a rib, 1*, incombination with the guide-casting L, having flanges Z. andscrew-threaded pin 1, thumb-nut M, having corrugated lower surface,spiral spring N, and the brush roll and carrying-wheels, substantiallyas described.

4. In a carpet-sweeper, and in combination with the brush-roll andbrush-roll-guiding brackets, the adjusting thumb-nut M, provided uponits lower surface with alternate ribs m and grooves m, and spring N,substantially as described.

5. In a carpet-sweeper, the dust-pans F, provided at one end with slotsfand spring-rod f, in combination with the end castings, O, and detectsc*,formed therein, substantially as described.

6. A carpet-sweeper consisting of the following elements. to wit: thesweeper-casesupporting wheels H, pivoted to triangular journal-plates I,said plates I eccentrically pivoted to the end castings of the case,brush-roll D, supported and operated by the wheels H, guide-castings L,having screw-threaded pin 1, end castings, 0. having lugs I l one ofsaid lugs having rib Z", thumb-nut M, having corrugated lower surface,spiral spring N, and pans F,having slots f, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. CASTLE.

Witnesses:

A. B. CARPENTER, F.- B. SMITH.

ICC

